Fave Quarreling Songs

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Quite a few grate duets have lyrical content being made up by a quarrel between the two characters, who are usually in some kind of relationship. To my mind, this is often exactly what makes the song in question grate -- I suspect this has to do with the opportunities the format gives for witty, lippy and/or nasty exchanges, leading to added entertainment value. To mention a few I more or less like:
"Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
"The Ballad of Tom Jones" by Space & Cerys Catatoniaperson
"I'm So Tired of Picking Up After You" by Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle
"Big Red Balloon" by Lee Hazelwood &, um, don't know the original -- I've only heard it done by Boyd Rice and Rose McDowell.

My all-time favourite, however, has to be "This House Is a House of Trouble" by Sally Timms and Marc Almond, featuring some true gems of bitching, as when Marc accuses Sally of dragging "some boy to your bed", to which she instantly snaps back: "Hah! You can talk!" (well, I guess you have to hear it...)

So, do you have any favourite songs of this type? And are you with me in generally enjoying them?

― OleM (OleM), Monday, 9 September 2002 22:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Daphne and Celeste's "UGLY", obviously.
but seriously, Meatloaf's "Paradise by the dashboard lights" is my favourite example

― Slump Man (Slump Man), Monday, 9 September 2002 22:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Harvey Sid Fisher has a whole album of these.

(But I don't own it.)

― wl, Monday, 9 September 2002 22:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Shoot! And there's a neat one by Jonathan Richman. I'm not much help 'cause I don't remember the title or album.

― wl, Monday, 9 September 2002 22:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Anything by Prolapse - the absolute ultimate wuarrelling-as-art band.

"What you got a shiny face for? What you wearing those glasses for, you slimy git? Your parents must've hated you to call you Kay..." etc

― Charlie, Monday, 9 September 2002 22:52 (twenty-three years ago)

yes, I said "wuarrelling"...ahem.

― Charlie, Monday, 9 September 2002 22:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Prolapse "Pull Thru Barker"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 9 September 2002 22:55 (twenty-three years ago)

"Don't You Want Me" = #1 and best.

― Nate Patrin, Monday, 9 September 2002 23:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bitties In The BK Lounge - De La Soul

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 9 September 2002 23:03 (twenty-three years ago)

DAMMIT. Noodles wins

― Nate Patrin, Monday, 9 September 2002 23:38 (twenty-three years ago)

The best place to search for these is on Stax compilations- "Tramp" by Otis Redding & Carla Thomas is my all time fav, but "Cause I Love You" by Carla & Rufus Thomas is also ace (and at least vaguely incestous)

Ute Lemper also has a good one with Neil Hannon on "Punishing Kiss"- it's called "Split".

― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 9 September 2002 23:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Great thread!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 03:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm wondering if Pussy Galore's "Cunt Tease" counts simply for Julia Cafritz (?) yelling "FUCK YOU!" back at Jon.

― Nate Patrin, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 03:22 (twenty-three years ago)

what the fuck yall birds talking about?!!
get the fuck out my house
before i grab you by your hair and slap dick to your mouth
bob digi
yeah you know who is he
girl i fucking slave trade your ass like kizzy
kinte
BUT WAIT, FUCK YOU MOTHERFUCKER
you wish you could fuck
bitch
all you can do is dick suck
YOUR ASS CANT FUCK, THATS WHY YOUR WIFE LEFT YOUR MONKEY ASS
fuck that
you don't cook, you don't clean, or press my jeans
you don't scrub or wash clothes
or buy food or make any cream in this bitch
you don't read to the seeds
all you do is watch tv and smoke weed
get your nails done and feet scrubbed, the hairweave
sleep all day, eat, gain weight
can't breathe
talkin bout you gon leave?
THEN BITCH LEAVE!!

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 05:55 (twenty-three years ago)

FUCK BITCHES, GET MONEY!

FUCK NIGGAZ, GET MONEY!!

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 05:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Honest to god, if you only ever listen to one thing I say on this forum, it should be "Get "Hear The Air" by Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 07:34 (twenty-three years ago)

"i got a man" positive k.

"i'm not tryin'a hear that, see?"

― michael w., Tuesday, 10 September 2002 07:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I've never heard "You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly" by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, but it *must* be an example of this, surely?

Classics I can vouch for: "Round Table Talk" by Papa San and Lady T; "The Love We Got Ain't Worth Two Dead Flies" by Swamp Dogg and Esther Phillips. Both great records.

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 08:37 (twenty-three years ago)

I haven't heard that Sally Timms song in years - it is brilliant though.

The Nancy & Lee versh of Big Red Baloon is great as is the Spell one. Nancy & Lee have plenty of other fine duets. Not all arguing though - and other Lee albums have good stuff. "Hey Cowboy" is one of my fav duets but its not an arguement one - more a sly seduction number.

He's touring this autumn - probably a real last chance to see gig.

― tigerclawskank, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:36 (twenty-three years ago)

"Lucky Stars"!

― zebedee, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:46 (twenty-three years ago)

"Wish Me Well (You Can Go To Hell)" Bouncing Souls is classic, as well.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:48 (twenty-three years ago)

"The Irony Of It All"

I always assumed that "UGLY" was directed outwards at some girl they both didn't like. Hmm. A new set of ears for that song, then.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:50 (twenty-three years ago)

"Hit The Road, Jack"

― Siegbran Hetteson (eofor), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:54 (twenty-three years ago)

'something came over you' by ike and tina turner is the absolutle king of this.

tina raves away as only she can about all the wrong he done her while ike chips in with the occasional ice cool quip

"remember you said that i was your lover girl?"

"well you was......at that time".

― adam b (adam b), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Black Twang's "Tricksta" - bring on da battle of da sexes!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:56 (twenty-three years ago)

The Waitresses "It's My Car"
It's my car, I'm going to do the driving
shu shu shu shu shut up

Potato/Potato - tomato/tomato

WE MET AT NINE.
We met at eight.
I WAS ON TIME.
No, you were late.
AH, YES! I REMEMBER IT WELL!

WE DINED WITH FRIENDS.
We dined alone.
A TENOR SANG!
A baritone!
AH, YES! I REMEMBER IT WELL!

THAT DAZZLING APRIL MOON!
There was none that night, and the month was June.
THAT’S RIGHT! THAT’S RIGHT!
It warms my heart to know that you remember still the way you do.
AH, YES! I REMEMBER IT WELL!

HOW OFTEN I’VE THOUGHT OF THAT FRIDAY - Monday - NIGHT,
WHEN WE HAD OUR LAST RENDEZVOUS,
AND SOMEHOW I’VE FOOLISHLY WONDERED IF YOU MIGHT,
BY SOME CHANCE, BE THINKING OF IT TOO?

THAT CARRIAGE RIDE.
You walked me home.
YOU LOST A GLOVE.
I lost a comb.
AH, YES! I REMEMBER IT WELL!

THAT BRILLIANT SKY!
We had some rain.
THOSE RUSSIAN SONGS!
From sunny Spain!
AH, YES! I REMEMBER IT WELL!

YOU WORE A GOWN OF GOLD.
I was all in blue. Am I getting old?
OH, NO! NOT YOU!
How strong you were, how young and gay, a prince of love in ev’ry way.
AH, YES! I REMEMBER IT WELL!

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 11:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh my god..."Biddies in the BK Lounge" by De La Soul.

― Nick A., Tuesday, 10 September 2002 12:16 (twenty-three years ago)

"You're Dependable" from Lullaby of Broadway soundtrack. Writtten by no-one you know, sung by no-one you know, on telly over the weekend. and probably a lot of songs from musicals that they don't make any more that weren't on telly over the weekend.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 13:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Haha a bit one sided but Feets Too Big has an admirable go at all the baby elephant feeted people hooray cheers cheers.

I third (?) Nancy and Lee - especially since listening to 'Did you Ever' last night, which is fabulous.

Some others are right on the tip of my toungue but I can't remember them and as if I would tell you cockfarmers anyway oh NO fite!!! oh NO!!

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 13:56 (twenty-three years ago)

De la Soul - talkin´bout hey love

"Big Red Balloon" with Boyd Rice and Rose McDowell. wow i wanna hear this one...

― Jens (brighter), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 17:14 (twenty-three years ago)

I seem to recall one of the best of 69 Love Songs doing this interestingly: "Yeah! Oh Yeah!," right?

What a dark and dreary life
Are you reaching for a knife?
Could you really kill your wife?
"Yeah! Oh, yeah!"
Oh, I die, I die, I die!
So it's over, you and I
Was my whole life just a lie?
"Yeah! Oh, yeah!"

It turns the "oh yeah" rock cliche into a death threat!

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 18:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't believe we're talking Lee and Nancy quarrellilng songs, and no one has brought up "Jackson" which is the best of them all.

― kate, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 18:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Lou Reed's Berlin owns this thread:

And this is the room where she took the razor
And cut her wrists that strange and fateful night
And I said, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, what a feeling
And I said, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, what a feeling

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 12 September 2002 02:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Oops--you wanted a duet: Ok I'll cuncur with the Maurice Chevalier listing above...

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 12 September 2002 02:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Iggy Pop & Debbie Harry's cover of "Well, Did You Evah" comes pretty close, rekkin.

― Charlie (Charlie), Thursday, 12 September 2002 02:49 (twenty-three years ago)

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